Kwankwaso’s NNPP faction fights back, expels those who suspended him

In an effort to overturn his suspension, the Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso wing of the New Nigeria People’s Party conducted a concurrent meeting of the National Executive Committee in Abuja.

Major Agbo, the party’s new acting national chairman, and other prominent members engaged in the NNPP flag bearer’s sanction were expelled, according to the faction.

The action comes shortly after Kwankwaso was given a six-month suspension for alleged anti-party conduct by the party’s board of trustees.

At a NEC meeting in Lagos earlier on Tuesday, the decision was made to penalise Kwankwaso and select new national officers, including Agbo, acting National Secretary Ogini Olaposi, and 18 others.

Before the NEC meeting, Agbo and the party’s founder, Dr. Boniface Aniebonam, were purportedly suspended since August 24.

However, Aniebonam and Agbo protested the decision, arguing that if any party member deserved to be penalised, it should be the presidential candidate for his alleged dubious recent conduct.

Ladipo Johnson, the party’s national auditor, responded by calling Kwankwaso’s suspension an unlawful action.

Johnson, who claimed he was the chairman of the disciplinary committee that subsequently expelled Agbo and his loyalists at the NEC meeting in Abuja, affirmed that there was no division in the party as being speculated.

He said, “It is a fake news. Do you hold NEC meetings in the Apapa area of Lagos? Of course, it is not the proper thing to do. We held NEC in Abuja today.

“The Agbo you talked about has been expelled along with some other people. He was the one doing all this nonsense and that’s because you know him as national publicity secretary. Who made him acting chairman? Ask yourself, is that how one becomes a chairman?
“I don’t like your use of the word ‘faction.’ Is that how one creates a faction? If you come to NNPP headquarters, you will see us there.

“You will also see that Agbo’s office has been locked for over a week. And he didn’t even go to any court to say what we did was wrong. They are the judges themselves and they are the ones you should be calling a faction. That’s because they were suspended and eventually expelled from the party. Let me send you a statement on the NEC we just held.”

The statement, made available to The newsmen on Tuesday evening, confirmed that a NEC meeting actually took place in Abija where a decision on the purported expulsion of Agbo, a new party logo and constitutional amendments were taken.

It partly read, “At the National Executive Committee meeting of the NNPP held in Abuja today August 29, Dr Boniface Aniebonam, Agbo Major and several others were expelled from the party.

“The NEC also moved several other motions relating to the Logo of the party, the Amendment of the constitution, ratification of the State caretaker committees, and the suspension of two Articles in the constitution of the NNPP 2022.

“At the meeting were the Executive Governor of Kano State, the National Chairman, Distinguished Senator Kawu Ismaila, the Speaker of the Kano State House of Assembly, Engr Buba Galadima and many others.

“NEC noted that there were suspended (now expelled) persons who purportedly held a Board of Trustees meeting in Apapa, Lagos this morning. Naturally, their meeting was null and void and to no effect.”